DNP Adds New Film to Decorative Material Lineup for Exterior Applications

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) will launch an electron beam (EB) cured exterior film for the exterior use of buildings, which helps to express realistic textures of wood, stone, and others, along with an overall feeling of luxury.

[Background]

When using natural materials on the exterior of large scale buildings, such as public and commercial facilities, timber faces major limitations, including durability, incombustibility and strength, while stone materials are heavy, making it necessary to devise construction and fall-prevention methods in order to ensure safety. Meanwhile, metal materials present the challenge of rapid deterioration even if anti-rust treated. In order to overcome these challenges, DNP has marketed aluminum panels for interior and exterior uses that by printing wood, stone and stainless steel patterns on light aluminum, do not rust, making it possible to reproduce high class, rich textures. The aluminum panels are suitable for flat applications, such as the external wall paneling used in commercial facilities and office buildings. In recent years, however, demand has risen for natural designs for long linear shaped aluminum construction materials, such as louver and spandrel. Spandrel, which is used in ceiling material, is a decorative metal panel fabricated so that the screws are hidden. In this latest development, DNP has added to its lineup of decorative materials, EB cured exterior film decorated with natural patterns that can be easily applied to louver- or spandrel-shaped aluminum construction materials for exterior uses. With the launch of this new product it will be possible to share the same design between flat panels and linear shaped molding components such as louvers and spandrels, facilitating greater leeway for artistic expression, such as giving external buildings a sense of luxury.

[EB Cured Exterior Film]

EB curing renders the film highly weather resistant, enabling extended use out of doors.

With the new film, it is now possible to add textures including wood and stone to linear-shaped aluminum products, such as louver and spandrel. The film is manufactured by printing in a roll format, with no length-based limitations, facilitating its decorative use with long louver and spandrel used at commercial facilities.

By using EB cured film it is possible to combine decorative materials for external use, using the best materials for the best location to match specific parts of buildings or other necessary specifications. As a result, it becomes possible to create a variety of design effects, such as big patterns that take into consideration visibility of the patterns from a distance, or the finer patterns used with louvers, often viewed from closer up.

[Looking Ahead]

DNP will market EB cured exterior film mainly to architects, construction companies, along with aluminum building material manufacturers, aiming for annual sales of 3.0 billion yen in FY 2017. In addition to developing new designs, the Company will also expand on a global basis, in answer to construction demand from overseas.

* Product prices, specification and service contents mentioned in this news release are current as of the date of publication. They may be changed at any time without notice.